I'm a writer, frequent traveler, and even more frequent kitchen superstar. This blog is an attempt to capitalize on those strengths. I live and work in Astoria, New York, and spend entirely too much money trying to recreate travel experiences through meals at local restaurants and at home.

The World's Prettiest Ponds

What’s a pond, and how does it differ from a lake? It’s definitely not just size—some ponds are larger than lakes, and contain the same, if not more, biological diversity. Ponds tend to be shallower and let more sunlight penetrate to the bottom, allowing for more plant growth. Man-made or organic, ponds and their lush surroundings can provide some of the most charming views found in nature.

When it comes to beautiful ponds, it’s difficult to think of one more famous than the miniature pool of water that inspired Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Situated in asmall, wooded area in Concord, Massachusetts, Walden Pond served as the backdrop for one of Thoreau’s most enduring works. Written in 1854, after Thoreau spent two years living near the pond’s edge, the book is credited with inspiring the subsequent back-to-nature conservationist movement. Were the author to visit today, he would be pleased to discover the great lengths taken to preserve the area, but he would no doubt mourn the loss of complete solitude. The 21st century Walden Pond attracts droves of tourists each year, and it’s not unusual to see its waters brimming with sunbathers and swimmers every summer.

Like Thoreau, Impressionist master Claude Monet created some of his most renowned pieces pond-side. The oil-paint genius took inspiration from Japanese prints and images to construct his famous pond in Giverny. Originally built on land he spent decades saving money to purchase, Monet likely never envisioned his private garden to serve as the root of an important artistic legacy. One summer, after planting a series of water lilies in the pond he installed, Monet turned his easel toward the garden in a bout of epiphany. Over the next 30 years, Monet would paint approximately 250 variations of his beloved water lilies, versions of which today are essential parts of museum collections worldwide (not to mention plastered on countless college dorm room walls).

Some good-looking ponds are a bit more utilitarian. If you’re the sort of person who longs to take a dip in the water no matter what the weather is, London’s Highgate Ponds are for you. Open year round—though London’s winter weather may be slightly on the more temperate side—Polar Bear Club members can enjoy (if that’s that you want to call it) their freezing swims together year round. But when the temperature warms and the throngs of geese come to visit, the pond transforms into a scene seemingly right out of a painting.

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